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Chance for communities to save local war memorials in Bristol

The First World War Memorials Programme is coming to Bristol and volunteers are needed from to help find and save local war memorials.

An exciting opportunity has become available for communities Bristol to play a part in conserving and protecting their local war memorials as part of a project to commemorate the First World War.

Launched in 2014, the First World War Memorials Programme aims to inspire local communities across the country to survey and conserve their local war memorials to ensure that by the end of the centenary of the First World War, as many war memorials as possible are in good condition and fitting tributes to the fallen.

Funding is available for the repair and conservation of memorials, but help is needed to find them and record their condition first, using a simple survey. With around hundreds of war memorials in the Bristol area, there is no better time to make sure these tributes to the fallen are ‘fit for heroes’.

Civic Voice, the national charity for the civic movement, is looking for volunteers from the Bristol area to help with this campaign. Civic Voice is bringing a free war memorials workshop to the city on November 29 th to train volunteers how to survey the condition of their war memorials. If you would like to attend the workshop or learn more about the programme, please visit www.civicvoice.org.uk/campaigns/war-memorials- /

Andrews Murrison MP, the Prime Minister’s Special Representative for the Centenary Commemoration of the First World War said, “War memorials are a key part of this country's culture, heritage and, vitally, remembrance. It is important that we act now to save them. I regularly follow and support the work undertaken by Civic Voice and look forward to encouraging others to become involved too.”

Anna Wilson of Civic Voice said “If people from every part Bristol were to undertake a simple survey of their local war memorial the result could be that all the city’s memorials could be in really good condition by 2018, in time for the national commemorations of the end of the First World War. Extra funding to save war memorials is only available during the centenary years so now is the time to act to save the nation’s war memorials. Come along to the workshop to find out more!”